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Republic of Vestlandet
The Republic of Vestlandet, commonly referred to as Vestlandet or Western Norway, is a nation made up by the region known as Vestlandet, and its fylker; Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Møre og Romsdal. Vestlandet was formed when this region seceded from the Kingdom of Norway. Vestlandet is situated on the Norwegian coast of the North Sea. The country consist of 58 582 km² and are divided into the mentioned four fylker, which are further divided into a total of 121 municipalities. Vestlandet has a population of about 1,36 million citizens with low poverty and urbanization in contrast to Norway. The capital and largest city by population of Vestlandet is Bergen. The government of Vestlandet is a unitary parliamentary republic similar to Iceland, though some still recognize king Harald V of Norway as their monarch. Current President is Ove Trellevik, and Ketil Solvik-Olsen is Prime Minister. History History of Norway For pre-2000 history go see the Norwegian History Since 2000 Even before Vestlandet became independent, there where tensions between the population and those leading from Oslo. When the Labour Party in Norway, and their leftwing coation won, Jens Stoltenberg became Prime Minister of Norway. For many in the region, he was the symbol of urban control over the districts. Stoltenberg's government moved to end oil drilling in the North Sea. Vestlandet, being the having its biggest industries based in the North Sea, saw a lot of unemployment. At the same time, the leader of the Conservative Party, Erna Solberg from Bergen, began to gain popularity. The Conservative Party was at this point low on the opinion polls, but Solberg managed to gain popularity in the region with her promises to strengthen the defense, bring back jobs and build up Norwegian roads. But while the Conservatives gained popularity on Vestlandet, branches of the party wanted that the region should secede from Norway. Most of the "christian" voters were also based in the region, and were not happy when the government made attempts to secularize the country. In 2007 the Progress Party politician, Ketil Solvik-Olsen, left his political parties and formed, with some comrades from the Center and Conservative parties, Vestlandspartiet. The party's goal was to give the region more autonomy, or independence, lissen to the people of the region, and supporting farmers and Christians in the region. The party was quickly mocked by mainstream media. NRK called the party "a dumb attempt to give power to fanatics". This sparked an uproar in Vestlandspartiet, and Solvik-Olsen demanded an apology from NRK. But NRK, supported by the Stoltenberg government, did not do so, and mocked the party again. Tensions between Western Norway and the rest of Norway reached an all-time high, with name-calling happening on both parts. In the 2009 election, Vestlandspartiet had gained 6.5% of the national vote, nearly all of them from the counties on Vestlandet. The Labour Party had gained around 29% and some in the party fully blamed the new party. Stoltenbergs government continued, but their election campaign had painted Vestlandspartiet as rebels, and this would not be healed easily. There were people demanding a referendum, but the government rejected it. On 22 July 2011, a bomb went off in Oslo outside the government building which houses the prime minister's office, killing at least eight people while wounding others. About an hour later, a shooting spree, which killed 69 people, was reported at Utøya, 45 minutes away, where the ruling Labour Party held it annual youth camp. It where a tragedy for the whole nation. But prime minister Stoltenberg mentioned it as a tragedy for the Labour Party. He later said that he had said it wrong, but this made people furious. The government was soon blamed for not having secured this terror attack, when it could be stopped before it happened. To save face, Jens Stoltenberg allowed a referendum on the independence of Vestlandet. 57% of the population in the region voted yes, and on 12 August 2011, Ketil Solvik-Olsen declared the Republic of Vestlandet as an independent state. After Independence Election was held the 16th of October, where Vestlandspartiet gained a clear majority. Despite a large majority, the party was very divided. Branches broke free and formed the other political parties in Vestlandet. Geography The geography of the Republic of Vestlandet is marked by long fjords and high mountains. Compared to Norway, the country experiences a lot more rainfall. Politics and government European Union Leaving Norway, Vestlandet also left the European Economic Area (EEA). A deal was quickly negotiated with the European Union, and Vestlandet was granted access to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), ensuring the possibility of easy trade with the rest of Europe. A referendum was held on March 21. 2012 to decide whether or not Vestlanded should seek a membership in the EU. 62.3% Voted no with 37.7 voting yes. Voter turnout was at 81.2%.